What does the Phrase ‘Dark Horse’ Mean?

A dark horse is an unexpected winner; a candidate who is not well known but could win unexpectedly.

Evidently, this term comes from horse racing. Historically, the term “dark” has been used for things that are not well known, or which are outside the purview of the public domain.

Thus, a dark horse was a racehorse whose skills or abilities were unknown to the public. People didn’t expect him to win a race.

This expression was first used in 1831 and soon, it began to be used for political and other scenarios.

Let’s see an example —

“The new guy was shy and awkward, so nobody took him seriously. But he proved himself a dark horse in the first tryout.”

The new guy played so well that he won in the first tryout.

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Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.